Treasure flower (Gazania rigens)
Discover Gazania rigens (Treasure flower), a low-maintenance perennial boasting showy orange daisy-like flowers in full sun.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
The Treasure flower (Gazania rigens) is a vibrant, low-growing plant highly valued for its incredibly bright, daisy-like blooms that bring intense color to garden spaces. Native to the dry regions of Southern Africa, this species thrives in intense sunlight where many other flowers struggle. Its striking foliage, often silvery green beneath, complements the fiery flower colors.
As an herbaceous perennial often grown as an annual in cooler climates, Gazania rigens offers excellent drought tolerance once established. It features decumbent stems that spread close to the ground, making it an effective groundcover or container filler. Gardeners appreciate the low maintenance required to keep this African daisy looking spectacular through the summer and into fall.
With solitary, rayed flowers reaching up to 3-4 inches wide, the natural coloring of Gazania rigens includes bright orange rays highlighted by distinct black eyes at the base of each petal. This cheerful display ensures the Treasure flower remains a popular component in sunny borders and rock gardens seeking long-lasting, reliable performance.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Asteraceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Native Range: Southern Africa
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 9-11
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 0.5-1 ft
- Spread: 0.5-1 ft
- Bloom Time: Seasonal bloomer
- Bloom Description: Orange rays with black eyes at bases and orange-brown disks
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Gazania rigens requires planting in full sun to ensure maximum flower production; partial shade will result in fewer blooms. It performs best when sited in sandy to average soils that provide excellent drainage. While the Treasure flower tolerates some dryness, consistently applying medium moisture—but never allowing the soil to become soggy—is key to robust growth.
Maintenance is relatively straightforward. Deadheading spent flowers regularly will actively encourage the plant to produce more colorful blossoms throughout the season. Since overly moist conditions can lead to stem and root rot, exercise caution, especially in humid climates. Gazania rigens can experience reduced flowering during intensely hot and humid summers.
For gardeners outside USDA Zones 9-11, treat the Treasure flower as an annual. If you wish to save plants, take basal offsets in late summer or early fall for indoor overwintering. Alternatively, if starting from seed, begin indoors 6 to 8 weeks prior to the anticipated last frost date, transplanting outside only after all danger of frost has passed.
Landscape Uses
The habit of Gazania rigens—spreading low with trailing stems—makes it exceptionally versatile in the landscape. Mass plantings in beds and borders create sweeping carpets of color that suppress weeds effectively while showcasing the individual flower markings. This plant is also highly recommended for use in containers and hanging baskets where its trailing nature can soften hard edges.
When designing sunny, xeriscaped areas, the Treasure flower fits perfectly alongside other drought-tolerant selections from the Asteraceae family or low-growing succulents. Consider pairing the classic orange blooms of Gazania rigens with cool whites or deep purples from surrounding plants to enhance the intensity of the orange rays, creating high visual contrast.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Gazania rigens ia native to South Africa and is commonly called gazania or Treasure flower, recognized as a popular African daisy similar to the genus Arctotis. This tender perennial features decumbent, spreading stems and narrow, silvery-green leaves, topped by solitary, daisy-like ray flowers up to 3-4 inches wide. The ray flowers are characteristically orange with black eyes at their bases surrounding orange-brown disks, though hybrid cultivars offer a broad spectrum of colors. Flowers famously close up at night or during cloudy weather, conserving the display for sunny afternoons.
Tolerances
- Drought
Potential Problems
Gazania rigens generally proves quite resistant to serious insect or disease issues, contributing to its low maintenance profile. The primary cultural risk involves soil saturation; overly moist or poorly draining soils are the main culprit for root and stem rot problems. Occasionally, gardeners might observe signs of leaf spot or powdery mildew, particularly in humid weather. If pests appear, mealybugs are the most likely occasional visitors. Ensure proper watering practices to circumvent most common issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Treasure flower suitable for?
Gazania rigens is reliably winter hardy in USDA Zones 9 through 11.
How large does the Treasure flower grow?
This plant typically reaches heights between 0.5 and 1 foot tall, with an equal spread of 0.5 to 1 foot wide.
What sun exposure does Gazania rigens need?
Gazania rigens demands full sun exposure to achieve its best performance and consistent flowering.
When does Gazania rigens bloom?
This species is a seasonal bloomer, displaying its distinct flowers from spring until the first fall frost.
Conclusion
The Treasure flower (Gazania rigens) provides unparalleled visual impact in sunny, dry garden settings with minimal effort from the gardener. Its robust nature and stunning, iconic orange blooms solidify its place as a garden favorite. Review your local climate to determine if it can be grown year-round, or plan to situate your cheerful Gazania rigens in containers that can be moved indoors before winter.
Propagation Tips
Taking basal offsets is a reliable way to maintain specimens of Gazania rigens that exhibit superior flower quality. These offsets—small plantlets growing from the base of the main plant—should be carefully removed in late summer or early fall. Once separated, they root readily, allowing you to pot them up for safe overwintering indoors away from frost.
If you are growing a specific cultivar that you admire, propagation via cuttings or offsets is highly recommended over seed, as seed saving often reverts the hybrid back toward the wild type characteristics of the parent Gazania rigens. Successfully overwintering these divisions ensures you have established, vigorous plants ready to go back outside when the weather warms following the last frost.
Companion Planting
Because the Treasure flower thrives in bright light and requires excellent drainage, successful companion planting involves pairing it with other sun-lovers that share similar cultural needs. Avoid planting Gazania rigens near moisture-loving bog or shade-tolerant species, as this invites fungal diseases. Excellent companions include various Sedums, Portulaca (Moss Rose), Lantana, and low-growing Yarrow (Achillea). These combinations create rich textural contrast while ensuring equitable irrigation and sun exposure across the entire planting area.
